Microsoft announces major overhaul of its Redmond campus

Microsoft plans a multibillion-dollar overhaul of its main campus in Redmond, Washington, adding space for 8,000 more workers and creating areas for collaboration and recreation as the company tries to keep up with growth in hiring and trends toward more open office spaces.

"The campus will be built for pedestrians and bikes with all cars moved to an underground parking facility", Smith notes.

When complete, the company's campus will boast 131 total buildings - up from 125 following the demolition of 12 current buildings - and hold room for up to 8,000 more people on top of the 47,000 that already work on the facility. The company says the expansion marks a commitment to their employees, the community, and the entire Puget Sound. As 18 new buildings would be constructed on the Microsoft Redmond Campus, 12 older buildings would be bulldozed. The space will be divided into what it calls "team neighborhoods". Following the opening of Apple's new spaceship campus in Cupertino, it seems that it also was an opportunity for Microsoft that it represents one of the best workplaces in the tech sector.

It is clear that Nadella is looking to revive the work culture at Microsoft, making it a little more collaborative with employees coming out of the closed-door offices and working in a more interactive environment. The campus revamp promises more natural light and a setting to "foster the type of creativity that will lead to ongoing innovation" writes Microsoft.

That transportation emphasis is perhaps the biggest difference from the expansion plan a decade ago.

Microsoft's new and improved headquarters will also feature public areas such as running and walking trails, soccer and cricket fields and retail space. It will all connect seamlessly with the Redmond Technology Transit Station, which will ferry passengers by light rail to downtown Bellevue and Seattle.

PixabayMicrosoft Redmond campus - what are the plans? As a Zero Waste Certified campus we will continue to focus further on waste-reduction initiatives.

"This is going to be an extremely intelligent campus, not because of devices but because of infrastructure", says Bill Lee, Microsoft's director of real estate, planning, and development, in the company's post.